The next chapter of the fierce rivalry between India and Pakistan will take place on Sunday. The blockbuster clash in Group 2 of the Super 12s will be played at the iconic MCG stadium on October 23rd. However, there’s a rain threat looming large over the contest.
Team India had a disappointing campaign last time around in the 2021 T20 World Cup, when they were knocked out in the group stage after losing their first two games against Pakistan and New Zealand. The Men in Green were unbeaten in the group stage but their dream ended at the hands of Australia in the semi-final.
Both the teams are looking to end their trophy drought in the competition. India last won the T20 World Cup back in 2007, while Pakistan had won the very next edition.
Following a change in leadership, India fully focused on preparing for this tournament, playing 32 T20 internationals this year. Rohit Sharma’s men won 23 of those matches. They endured disappointment in the Asia Cup but later defeated Australia and South Africa at home.
Pakistan hosted England for a seven-match series in the build-up, losing it by 4-3. The men in green then played a tri-series in New Zealand before flying to Australia. They beat the Kiwis by five wickets in the final to win the competition.
Both the sides have played one completed warm-up game each ahead of the main stage. India defeated Australia by six runs, courtesy of KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami whereas Pakistan were comprehensively beaten by England by six wickets. India’s second warm-up game was rained off, while Pakistan could only face 2.2 overs while chasing the target against Afghanistan.
Key players
Virat Kohli has a superb record in Australia, averaging 64 at a strike rate of 144 in the shorter format. He has always stepped up against Pakistan, scoring 406 runs in nine matches at 68 average while posting four fifties. Combine the two things with his recent form and Kohli becomes the key for India in this clash.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has two fifties in three T20I games played in Australia. The player has a good backfoot game and will be crucial in this tournament. Babar has scored 3231 runs in the format for Pakistan, averaging 44 with two hundreds and 29 fifties.
Shaheen Afridi had rattled India the last time he faced them, finishing with 3/31 to claim the player of the match award. The left-arm pacer has 165 wickets in overall T20s at an economy of 7.70. Shaheen has returned from an injury and did look good in the second warm-up game, picking 2 for 29.
Arguably the best new ball bowler in the world in T20 cricket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has done pretty well for India this year, snaring 32 wickets in 23 innings at an economy rate of 7.20. In the six games he has played versus Pakistan, he has scalped 10 wickets at 7.59 rpo with best figures of 4/26.
Prediction
The historical head-to-head record is in favour of India, who have won eight out of 11 clashes between the two sides, including the famous bowl-out. Since 2021, Pakistan have won two while India have claimed one.
The Indians have a strong batting unit, with the top three well suited for Australian conditions. Suryakumar, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik add firepower in the middle and end overs.
The bowling attack is significantly weakened by the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. The trio of Bhuvneshwar, Arshdeep Singh and Shami has to step up. In the spin department, they have Axar Patel and one of R Ashwin or Yuzvendra Chahal.
Pakistan have some concerns in their batting unit as most of their batters struggle to deal with extra bounce and hard lengths. Azam will be the most important batter for them. They could be without Shan Masood for this game after the batter was struck on the head. Fakhar Zaman could come in.
Pakistan are likely to promote Mohammad Nawaz or Shadab Khan up the order, having tasted success with the move several times. Pakistan will rely on Afridi and Naseem Shah to break the game early while the rest of the attack also adds quality.
If the weather allows the game to proceed, India do have an edge overall and should win this game.
